This chapter regulates drive-through facilities to ensure that an adequate amount of space is allocated for on-site maneuvering and circulation, that vehicles in a queue for service do not impede traffic on abutting streets and parking areas, and that stacking lanes will not have nuisance impacts on nearby residential uses. This chapter establishes development standards to mitigate the impacts of traffic, congestion, excessive pavement, litter, and noise while ensuring pedestrian connectivity is uninterrupted by vehicles and outdoor spaces are provided and preserved.
(Ord. No. 1000 § 4, 2022; Ord. No. 1015 § 3, 2023; Ord. No. 1017 § 8, 2023)
A. 
These development standards apply to all uses that include drive-through facilities and to all portions of a development that comprise the drive-through facility.
B. 
The development standards for new uses with drive-in and drive-through sales and services, the addition of drive-through facilities to existing developments, and the relocation of existing drive-through facilities will be reviewed in conjunction with any required conditional use permit and/or major design review application.
C. 
The approval of a drive-through facility shall require that the review authority to make all of the following findings, in addition to those required for a conditional use permit as stated in section 17.20.060 (Conditional use permit).
1. 
The proposed amount of parking, circulation plan, and traffic management plan will provide adequate area for safe stacking and maneuvering of vehicles, and the site design will provide adequate buffering of the use from adjoining land uses;
2. 
The proposed location of the drive-through facility will not result in adverse impacts upon the vicinity after giving consideration to a litter clean-up plan, the hours of operation, and the site plan;
3. 
The proposed location of the drive-through facility will not block existing drive isles in shared parking areas; and
4. 
The proposed location of the drive-through facility will not interfere with and/or impact on-site pedestrian access/circulation.
(Ord. No. 1000 § 4, 2022; Ord. No. 1015 § 3, 2023; Ord. No. 1017 § 8, 2023)
In addition to the standard application requirements for a conditional use permit stipulated in section 17.20.060 (Conditional use permit), an applicant for a restaurant with a drive-through business shall submit the additional application requirements prescribed by the director.
(Ord. No. 1000 § 4, 2022; Ord. No. 1015 § 3, 2023; Ord. No. 1017 § 8, 2023)
The following standards shall be the minimum requirements for all drive-in and drive-through facilities. Refer to Figure 17.91.040-1 (Drive-Through Design Standards). Approvals for a conditional use permit as described in section 17.20.060 (Conditional use permit) and major design review described in section 17.20.040 (Major design review) shall only be granted in compliance with these standards.
A. 
Site planning.
1. 
Location.
a. 
Access to drive-through facilities is only permitted on streets designated as automobile priority in the Rancho Cucamonga General Plan, Figure M-5 (Automobile Priority).
2. 
Site area. The minimum net land area for uses with drive-through facilities is one acre. This minimum land area may be modified by the review authority through the design review process when the drive-through facility is within a master plan or an integrated shopping center.
3. 
Building placement and orientation.
a. 
Buildings shall be placed on the front yard or street side yard setback line and oriented so that the primary public entrance faces the street.
b. 
Outdoor dining and seating areas shall be located near the main pedestrian entrance.
c. 
Walk-up windows, if used, shall be located near outdoor dining areas or other pedestrian areas, to encourage accessibility and limit vehicle and pedestrian conflicts.
d. 
Buildings may be clustered to create a plaza or outdoor dining area between buildings.
e. 
Pedestrian pathways and sidewalks must provide safe and convenient access to the building, shall connect directly to the public right-of-way, and shall not cross driveways or stacking lanes to get to the building's entrance.
f. 
The drive-through lanes shall not be located between a property line and the front of the building.
g. 
Drive-through lanes shall be located to the side or rear of the building and shall be screened with a combination of low screen walls and dense landscaping. The drive-through lanes may be designed to pass through an enclosed building element that is integrated into the building's design so that the lanes are enclosed.
h. 
Loading and service areas must be located on the site to minimize potential noise incompatibility with surrounding properties and so that, to the maximum extent feasible, they are not visible from public rights-of-way.
i. 
Future drive-through facilities proposed in a master plan or shopping center shall be identified early in the review process to avoid retrofitting the site plan at a later date.
4. 
Trash and recycling enclosures. Trash and recycling enclosures must comply with the requirements established in chapter 17.48 (Fences, Walls, and Screening) and section 17.120.020(H) (Refuse and recycling areas)
5. 
Landscaping and buffers. Landscaping, fencing, and trees shall be provided consistent with the requirements in section 17.120.020(F) (Landscaping) and chapter 17.56 (Landscaping Standards).
FIGURE 17.91.040-1 DRIVE-THROUGH DESIGN STANDARDS
B. 
Building design.
1. 
Building entrances.
a. 
Primary building entrances and entry features shall be clearly defined through variation of architectural planes on the building and pavement surfaces, and must be accessible from a courtyard or plaza.
b. 
The primary building entries shall be accessed directly from the sidewalk in the public right-of-way or from within the development site. Pedestrian circulation paths may only intersect or cross a drive-through lane(s) if the applicant can demonstrate that there are no other feasible or practical options available, in which case the pedestrian crossing shall be raised to create a hump to enhance pedestrian safety.
c. 
Prominent architectural features shall be located near corners and intersections to promote and enhance the primary building entrance.
d. 
The appropriate placement of awnings or signage can clearly demarcate building entrances.
2. 
Building architecture and articulation.
a. 
Drive-through facilities within an integrated shopping center or master plan must have an architectural style consistent with the theme established in the center.
b. 
The architecture of drive-through facilities must be compatible and consistent with surrounding uses in form, materials, colors, scale, etc.
c. 
Building planes shall have variation in depth and angle to create variety and interest in the basic form and silhouette of the building.
d. 
Articulation of building surfaces shall be encouraged through the use of openings and recesses which create texture and shadow patterns.
e. 
Drive-through facilities shall comply with the requirements of section 17.120.030 (Building design).
3. 
Outdoor dining areas for restaurants.
a. 
Outdoor dining areas are required for all drive-in and drive-through restaurant facilities in the MU zones.
b. 
Outdoor dining areas shall be designed as an integral part of the drive-through facility, and can include plazas, arcades, colonnades, or courtyards.
c. 
Outdoor dining areas and other publicly accessible outdoor spaces shall include tables and seating, trash cans, bicycle racks, and structures that provide shade and protection from the weather.
d. 
To the maximum extent feasible, outdoor dining areas shall be oriented for maximum benefit of sunlight and views and to the extent possible, outdoor dining areas shall be oriented away from drive-through stacking lanes
e. 
The minimum dimension of an outdoor dining area shall be 20 feet measured in any direction with a minimum area of 450 square feet.
4. 
Signs. All signs shall conform to the provisions of chapter 17.74 (Sign Regulations for Private Property). Drive-through facilities in an integrated shopping center or master plan must comply with the uniform sign program established for the center.
C. 
Parking and Circulation.
1. 
Parking.
a. 
The parking for drive-through facilities shall be determined according to chapter 17.64 (Parking and Loading Standards).
b. 
Parking lots shall be landscaped and screened in accordance with section 17.56.050 (General landscape development standards) and section 17.56.060 (Special landscape requirements), and connected to buildings with well-designed pedestrian paths, trellises paseos, and walkways.
2. 
Setbacks. Parking and the drive-through lane(s) shall be set back a minimum of 45 feet from the curb face of a public street. Greater setbacks may be required as mentioned in an applicable specific plan or as deemed necessary during the design review process.
3. 
Stacking Requirements.
a. 
The drive-through lane shall be long enough to accommodate the necessary stacking of cars. The stacking distance shall be determined through a parking study as described in chapter 17.64 (Parking and Loading Standards) and shall be based on the number of vehicles in the drive-through lanes for seven consecutive days during peak lunch hours between 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and peak dinner hours between 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at three different restaurant locations in cities with a similar population as Rancho Cucamonga and in a similar location as the proposed site.
b. 
All stacking must be designed to be accommodated on the site of the drive-through use or through a shared use agreement with an adjacent property owner(s). No stacking onto public or private streets is allowed.
c. 
Stacking lanes must be designed so that they do not interfere with on-site parking and vehicle circulation.
d. 
In the event that the number of vehicles waiting at the service window exceeds the length of the stacking lane(s), personnel from the drive-through establishment shall manage the queue to ensure that all vehicles do not block or interfere with on-site vehicular and pedestrian circulation and parking areas.
e. 
Drive-Through Lane Design.
i. 
The entrance and exit of a drive-through lane must be at least 50 feet from an intersection of public rights-of-way when measured at the closest intersecting curbs.
ii. 
The drive-through lane must be at least 10 feet wide with a minimum 10-foot interior radius at curves.
iii. 
The stacking area must accommodate a minimum of five cars for each drive-up or drive-through window in addition to the vehicle receiving service. A higher minimum of cars could be required as part of the conditions of approval. The stacking space for each vehicle shall be 10 feet wide and 20 feet long.
iv. 
The drive-through lanes shall be separate from the circulation route necessary for ingress and egress from the property or access to any parking spaces within the site using concrete curbing or paint striping on at least one side of the lane. These requirements do not apply to the reuse of existing properties.
v. 
All stacking lanes must be clearly identified with pavement markings and signage to indicate the entrance, direction of traffic flow and exit.
vi. 
The driveway-through lane design must provide for a minimum nine feet wide escape/emergency lane allowing motorists to exit the stacking lane before reaching the drive-through window.
f. 
Stacking lanes must be screened in compliance with section 17.56.060 (Special landscape requirements).
g. 
No more than two stacking lanes are allowed per drive-through use. Each lane must conform to the standards in this subsection.
4. 
Off-Site Improvements.
a. 
Street trees shall be provided along the public right-of-way and shall be selected from the city's adopted master list of street trees and parking lot trees.
b. 
The applicant shall coordinate with Engineering on all off-site improvements needed to provide full ADA accessibility compliance within the adjacent public right-of-way.
D. 
Performance Standards.
1. 
Special performance standards for restaurants with drive-through facilities. The use shall be operated in a manner that does not interfere with the normal use of adjoining properties. If, in the opinion of the planning director, the provisions of this paragraph are being violated, the violations shall be grounds for reopening conditional use permit hearings and adding conditions to control the violation. Performance standards include, but are not limited to, the following considerations, which, where appropriate, shall be incorporated as conditions of approval in all use permits as determined by the planning commission or city council:
a. 
Noise levels measured at the property line shall not exceed the level of background noise normally found in the area or 65 dBa, whichever is greater.
b. 
All exterior lighting shall be contained to the subject property and shall not encroach onto neighboring properties.
c. 
Drive-through hours of operation shall be limited to 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 a.m. midnight. If a drive-through facility is adjacent to residential property, then hours of operation shall be limited to 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., Sunday through Thursday and 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 a.m., Friday and Saturday. These hours of operation standards do not apply to the business that the drive-through serves.
d. 
The premises shall be kept clean, and the operator shall make all reasonable efforts to see that no trash or litter originating from the use is deposited on adjacent properties. For drive-through restaurants or other uses which typically generate trash or litter, adequate trash containers, as determined by the planning director, shall be required and employees shall be required daily to pick up trash or litter originating from the site and within 300 feet of the perimeter of the property.
e. 
All graffiti shall be removed within 72 hours.
f. 
No undesirable odors shall be generated on the site.
g. 
The on-site manager of the use shall take whatever steps are deemed necessary to assure the orderly conduct of employees, patrons, and visitors on the premises.
h. 
A copy of these performance standards and all conditional use permit conditions of approval shall be posted alongside the necessary business licenses and be visible at all times to employees.
(Ord. No. 1000 § 4, 2022; Ord. No. 1015 § 3, 2023; Ord. No. 1017 § 8, 2023; Ord. No. 1023, 1/17/2024)